Stocks turn higher after jobless claims report
NEW YORK – Wall Street fluctuated in a narrow range Thursday as investors struggled to discern a direction for the economy after reports showing a modest increase in jobless claims and weakness in the manufacturing sector.

Job market soft, factories weak
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. factory sector started the month on a weak note after declining in April, according to data released on Thursday, while the number of workers stuck on jobless rolls hit a four-year high.

Bernanke: Banks must get better at foreseeing risk
WASHINGTON – Commercial banks and other financial institutions need to beef up their ability to detect and protect themselves against risks like the credit and mortgage debacles, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday.

Here’s news: Fed report says gas price dropped in April
WASHINGTON — Consumer prices rose only 0.2 percent in April, but the tame number masked an ugly reality for poorer Americans — food prices rose almost 1 percent for the month, the highest monthly jump since 1990, and by 5 percent over the previous year.

US foreclosure filings surge 65 percent in April
More U.S. homeowners fell behind on mortgage payments last month, driving the number of homes facing foreclosure up 65 percent versus the same month last year and contributing to a deepening slide in home values, a research company said Tuesday.

Toll Hikes Used to Boost Foreign Company Profits
Drivers in North America are paying higher fees to cover the red ink of a Spanish infrastructure firm. Global toll road giant Cintra announced yesterday that its first quarter revenue had jumped 15.3 percent thanks in part to toll hikes on roads in the US, Canada, Chile, Ireland and Spain… American motorists are now paying significantly more as a result. In 2005, Governor Mitch Daniels leased the Chicago Skyway to Cintra and the Australian tolling firm Macquarie for the next 99 years. The consortium hiked tolls 20 percent earlier this year, charging motorists $3 each to drive the 7.8 mile route.
But privatization is GOOD for you, so take your medicine.

General Electric to Shed Appliance Unit, People Say
General Electric Co. may sell or seek a partner for the unit that makes refrigerators and washers, ending more than a century in an industry that helped make GE a household name, people familiar with the situation said.